Chimera (I) (2003) User Reviews

So-So Indie Werewolf Short Film

[hmckiel · 6/10 · 11 November 2006]

When I was watching CHIMERA, I got the feeling I was watching something from the late seventies. That isn't a bad thing. Likewise, CHIMERA isn't a bad film. At only 22 minutes long, it dosen't wear out its welcome and the film makers clearly did the best they could with the ultra-low budget they had.

In fact, bad audio and some wooden acting are really the only problems CHIMERA suffered from. The gun and gore effects, though rare, are decent, and the direction is kind of nifty at times, but we never actually see the Werewolf aside from its hands. Plus, there were times when I had to adjust my speakers to hear what the actors were saying.

The plot revolves around a group of soldiers investigating an abandoned research facility in the Arctic Circle, and lo and behold, they find a Werewolf that kills them off one by one. Sure, its generic, but I don't mind unoriginality much, just as long the film itself isn't that bad.

And CHIMERA isn't that bad. It has a couple suspenseful moments, and does something imaginative with its generic plot line. I'd recommend seeing it at least once. Now if only the audio wasn't so bad...

Entertaining and diverting short film

[Teknofobe70 · 5/10 · 23 May 2005]

Several soldiers are sent out to investigate loss of communication with a research outpost, in which the occupants seem to be being killed off one by one by an unseen force ...

First of all, it's worth mentioning that this movie is primarily filmed in the far, snowy reaches of Alaska. And with a location like that, half your work is already done. It doesn't matter how you film it -- it's going to look desolate and wonderful. For an independent filmmaker, it's important to find a great location like this as you can't exactly afford the most elaborate sets, and Martinez exploits this to it's full potential. Out in the snow the soldiers are hunted, stalked and slaughtered by an unseen white-haired beast, which cannot be stopped. And to top it all off, it's actually got a pretty good back-story to it.

Watching this movie you can be assured that you're not in the hands of amateurs, but of people who understand and enjoy what they are doing. The special effects obviously aren't great, but what they have is used very well. While they hardly show the monster, this means that it remains reasonably convincing, and the low-budget "gore" effects are a lot of fun as always. The cast do a pretty good job here ... the performances are mostly serious, although there is a bit of pretty dark comedy thrown in here and there, which makes the whole movie a lot more entertaining than it would be otherwise.

At 22-minutes, this is short independent film-making of a very high order. If the other instalments match up to this one, then that's definitely something for us all to look forward to.

The Werewolf cult chronicles: CHIMERA

[olapaulakoski · 10/10 · 8 May 2003]

CHIMERA is to say the least a stunning horror action film from short film director Mike Martinez.

For being a movie shot on a shoestring budget below a two digit number, the movie sucseeds in having a lot of production value, Like werewolf FX, explosions shot with eight cameras!!, matte paintings and it is shot on location at Nasa!!

The acting works and is never overplayed, the cinematogrofi is really creative and experimental. I really like the scene were Sgt Little is all alone at the base. Good editing.

I really liked the music from Oneiros is it feels a bit like a mixture between italian horror rockers "the Goblins" and SpaghettiWestern musician "Ennio Morricones" score for "John Carpenters: the THING".

All in all i like the film and i look forward to see more from Mike and Scythe Productions.

Mike Martinez Does it Yet Again (spoilers)

[SgtSlaughter · 7/10 · 30 April 2003]

Mike Martinez and the crew at Scythe Productions bring us yet another wonderfully entertaining horror flick.

2019. A desolate research station at the Arctic Circle. A monstrous werewolf goes on the rampage, killing off members of the research team one by one. A team of soldiers heads into to investigate, and slowly learns what really happened as they are killed off one by one.

For a short film - and I mean short, running just over 22 minutes - this is a really good movie. The pace never flags, the acting is pretty good (don't expect Marlon Brando though folks). There are some great suspense and action sequences, including an unexpected, gruesome decapitation scene (reasonably convincing, actually) and a great scene with two men barricaded in a room waiting to die as the werewolf bashes through the door.

Really good editing. There are some scenes in which the wide shots are darker than close-ups, but with a low-budget film this can't really be avoided. Some great scenery helps out too. Mike filmed this in Alaska on a nearly-perfect set and it looks very convincing.

The script is pretty well-written, with good characterization and some very cheesy and funny dialog, as follows...

SOLDIER: He's Johnson, I'm Little. SERGEANT: Yes, I can see that.

SOLDIER: Something happened? SERGEANT: SOMETHING, Private? SOLDIER: Yes, something private, sir.

All in all, a really well-plotted and likeable action / horror movie from the Scythe Productions too. Now, wish I could also see some of Mike's first films and compare them to his nearly professional work.